Pages

Jun 21, 2015

So when In the Dark Events first partnered with O Bar to stage events for various queens from RuPaul's Drag Race starting with Adore Delano, the drag racer that people were most hoping for was Manila Luzon. And you can't really blame people for feeling that way since this Season 3 queen was fabulous all throughout the show and proud to be part Filipino to boot! And so it goes without saying that people went crazy over the news that Manila Luzon was finally coming to Manila this month for her first-ever performance in the Philippines. Not only that, but it was part of O Bar's Pride Party event for this year, which made things all the more epic.

Last night's Pride Party called Lagalas de Pilipinas, a tribute to Philippine drag queens, was such a great night. It was already cool that the VIP-only part of the event didn't just include a professional photo with Manila but also the option to take your own selfies with her, but performances that followed totally took the house down! And Manila is such a dazzling, engaging and endearing personality that it's easy to see why she's been such a fan favorite around the world.

Beyond Manila's celebrity presence, the fabulous performance numbers by the Oh Divas, poi artists and ledge dancers, the event also include a special number from the Lola Divas, a set of older queens that still perform until today. This Pride Party was meant as a tribute to Philippine drag queens after all, and it was important to pay homage to those who have helped shaped the local drag culture. It was quite a treat to see them rock that stage like their much younger sisters and still get the whole crowd cheering and shouting.

But no Pride Party is complete without friends, and we certainly saw a good number of them at the bar last night. Tobie and I had charge of a table for other O Bar regulars and friends and we did our best to make sure everyone had a home for the night. I'm pretty sure I had way too many drinks that night and I took a ridiculous number of photos with my alcohol-impaired trigger finger. And as I say a lot on this and my other blogs, it's the presence of friends that really defines the O Bar experience for me. The bar in itself is a great venue with amazing performers that make a lot of fun possible. But it's your friends that go with you that really make all the difference and help shift a night nursing a drink into a wild event partying with your hands in the air.

Thank you O Bar. Thank you In the Dark Events. Thank you Manila Luzon. A most happy Pride indeed.